The REFORM Alliance Speaker Series features some of the leading thinkers, organizers, and activists in the criminal justice field. Through these conversations, we stay on the cutting edge of research and knowledge. The Speaker Series is also an opportunity for members of the community to join us, listen, and find common cause with people who share a passion for creating change. 

On May 29, for the next installment of our Speaker Series, we will welcome Elizabeth Hinton, professor of history, African American studies, and law at Yale University. 

A distinguished scholar and thought leader, Professor Hinton has researched and published extensively on poverty, race, and urban violence in the United States. Her first book, From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America, earned widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Her most recent book, America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s, won a Robert F. Kennedy book award. 

Beyond her books, Professor Hinton has published a wide array of articles and op-eds, some of which can be found in the New York Times, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, The Nation, Time, The Boston Review, and many more. Alongside Professor Beverly Gage, Professor leads the Workshop in Modern U.S. History, a monthly speaker series for faculty and graduate students to discuss the latest scholarship in 20th-century U.S. history. 

Simply put, she is a pioneer in her field – and we are so excited to listen to her, letting her expertise inform our work and reconnect us with our why.